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Fox News Slams J.Crew’s Jenna Lyons For Painting Her Son’s Toenails

by Justin Fenner | 2:45 pm, April 12th, 2011

The people at Fox News are seriously upset over a J.Crew feature that popped up on the brand’s site this weekend. In it, J.Crew’s creative director Jenna Lyons is pictured painting her son Beckett‘s toenails pink. The image is accompanied by the text, “Lucky for me, I ended up with a boy whose favorite color is pink. Toenail painting is way more fun in neon.” When we saw the ad — it’s included here, and you can click to enlarge it — we thought it was adorable. That pink is really close to Styleite pink, after all. But a number of media commenters and Fox writers fear the ad might encourage children to become transgendered.

Dr. Keith Ablow, a psychiatrist who writes a health column for Fox‘s website, called the ad a “dramatic example of of the way that our culture is being encouraged to abandon all trappings of gender identity.”

But Ablow didn’t stop there. In his opinion, painting a boy’s toenails pink in a high-profile ad puts not just that boy but our entire society on a slippery slope that’s pointed right in the direction of mass identity confusion. And not just where gender is concerned:

Well, how about the fact that encouraging the choosing of gender identity, rather than suggesting our children become comfortable with the ones that they got at birth, can throw our species into real psychological turmoil—not to mention crowding operating rooms with procedures to grotesquely amputate body parts? Why not make race the next frontier? What would be so wrong with people deciding to tattoo themselves dark brown and claim African-American heritage? Why not bleach the skin of others so they can playact as Caucasians?

Fox also quoted a post from the Media Research Center, which denounces the ad, and talked to the author of a book on gender identity who said there’s no problem with painting a boy’s toenails. The post also acknowledges that Fox‘s reader comments were split, with some saying they didn’t see what the big deal was and others just as concerned as Dr. Ablow.

We’re not doctors, but we don’t think a layer of topcoat is going to convince a boy that he should want to be a woman, any more than wearing pants or having short hair will convince a girl that she should want to be a man. (And pink nail polish isn’t going to make anyone wish they were another race.) Maybe Fox‘s experts have a problem with the fashion industry altogether? After all, it was just last week that the news outlet went after designer Vivienne Westwood for speaking her mind about climate change.

What do you think? Is Fox overreacting or are they right on the money?

J. Crew Plants the Seeds for Gender Identity [Fox News]
J.Crew Ad Showing Boy With Pink Nail Polish Sparks Debate on Gender Identity [Fox News]



  • http://profiles.google.com/maliagriggs Malia Griggs

    I saw this ad over the weekend when I was looking for trendy ads. I definitely immediately noticed that it was a boy and that the pink was involved, but I liked it for that reason–but it was goofy and sweet and different. It also does perpetuate gender stereotypes anyway–Jenna says that she’s lucky to have a boy who likes pink, which implies that boys are not generally supposed to like or wear pink by stereotype. He’s just an exception, but it’s not encouraging exceptions.

  • http://www.delectablychic.com Cynthia from DelectablyChic!

    Though I think it’s kind of cute, I’m not 100% sure this is a good thing for J.Crew. J.Crew is a preppy brand with a more traditional style while putting nail polish on boys is more of an alternative thing. Personally, I’m not a fan of any kind of nail polish that isn’t pale pink, tan or clear, but this is probably more from conditioning – I had a uniform in middle school and high school and was not allowed to wear “noticeable nail polish” while in uniform.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_LASIK3PT7Z4QXQGTN4G4GZ3QYY Nayith

    Ok, seems like Drama is the best way to describe this… I personally don’t find it a bad thing, they’re just playing to paint his toe-nails like if they were painting themselves all the body in red, blue or magenta. The color clearly does not confuse the child, and for me Fox is just acting like quite outdated.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mc-Lovebuddy/100001775604280 Mc Lovebuddy

    that’s kind of amazing that they’d say that. nail polish is so trivial. i’d worry more about potential toxicity.

  • PalinHater

    Why is that Fox News disparaged the First Lady as interrupting the sacred bond of parent and child when she merely suggested that our children eat food that is healthier for them. Aren’t they doing the same thing with this mother and child? The hypocrisy is staggering.

  • Ayeka

    I think the fact that some stupid doctor is in an uproar about this is pathetic. This is clearly a mother who is enjoying time with her son who cares about what she is doing. With a society of so many parents putting their kids off with nanny’s and other providers is it refreshing seeing a mother who is enjoying her son. my son is 15 and came home 2 days ago with a bracelet about 6 inches long made out of rainbow beads that his gf gave to him. Do I need to set money away for therapy for my son? I wouldn’t care if my son was straight gay or PINK as long as he is healthy and happy. That matters Mr-so-called doctor not what gender your child decides to end up with.

  • Anonymous

    I would worry about how he was treated in school, while wearing pink polish and whether or not the bullies would make hash of him. If he got beat up and swore at, I would then worry about what to tell him and how he should deal with it. So to avoid all that, I wouldnt paint his nails pink.  I would wait til he was older and could make his own decisions.

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